The dispensing of fluid from a container by manual actuation of a pump or similar mechanism is well known in the art. For example, fluids such as perfume, insect repellent, and antibiotics are commonly packaged and sold in glass or plastic containers having an integral, manually actuated pumping mechanism for applying the fluid to a relatively large area of skin. The pumping mechanism may comprise an air bladder, commonly used to dispense perfume, or a pump mechanism operative to draw, atomize, and spray fluid upon being manually depressed. The latter type of pump mechanism is typically integrally formed with a cap that seals the fluid within the bottle. A fluid feed tube connects to the pumping mechanism, and extends within the bottle, immersing an open end in the fluid to be dispensed. One known problem with prior art pump spray bottles is that particulate matter which may be in the bottle, whether suspended in the fluid or settled at the base of the bottle, may be drawn into the fluid feed tube and clog the spray mechanism.
While pump spray bottles are effective for applying fluid to a relatively large surface area, in many cases a more controlled application of the fluid to a surface is desired. Many applicators to achieve this are known in the art. For example, fingernail paint is typically dispensed in a container having a brush connected to the interior side of a cap. The brush is immersed in the fluid when the cap is attached to the bottle. Upon removing the cap, the attached brush retains a small volume of fluid, which is applied to the desired surface by direct contact. Other direct-contact fluid applicators are known. For example, fluid may be dispensed by forcing it through a porous material that is permeable to the fluid, such as a sponge. Additionally, a porous and permeable dauber may be immersed within the fluid and used to apply the fluid to a surface, similarly to the above-described brush.
The preferred method of applying a fluid to a surface may depend on circumstances that are not known in advance. For example, a liquid skin bandage fluid having efficacy in treating poison ivy may be optimally applied to the skin in a generally even manner over a relatively large area in an atomized spray. However, the same fluid, which additionally has efficacy in treating cuts, scrapes, puncture wounds, and the like, may be optimally applied to a localized area of skin in a controlled manner by direct application, using a dauber or brush. While the fluid could be packaged and sold in both a container having a pump spray mechanism and also a container having a direct-application dauber or brush attached to the cap, this multiplicity of packaging complicates the manufacture, distribution, and sale of the fluid. Additionally, since customers do not know in advance which application method may be preferred, they must purchase the same fluid in both types of containers, increasing their cost and cluttering their storage areas.